A young Saudi journalist is facing calls for his execution after tweeting remarks about the Prophet Mohammed, and the kingdom's top clerics are demanding his trial after denouncing him as an "apostate."

On the occasion of the Muslim prophet's birthday last week, 23-year-old
Hamza Kashgari tweeted: "I have loved things about you and I have hated
things about you and there is a lot I don't understand about you."

"I will not pray for you," he added.

The controversial tweet sparked a frenzy of responses -- some 30,000,
according to an online service that tracks tweets in the Arab world.

In one response, Abdullah, a lawyer, said that since Kashgari was "an
adult... we should accept nothing but implementing the ruling according
to Islamic law" or sharia.

Insulting the prophet is considered blasphemous in Islam, and is a crime punishable by death.

Kashgari quickly apologised for his remarks, but the calls for his execution only multiplied.